


In One Piece

by hannelore



Category: Grim Fandango
Genre: Gen, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two is a lonely number for a revolution. Eva realizes she can't just leave it up to Sal to get the recruits and when she sees Manny's golden ticket almost walk out the door, she makes a quick decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In One Piece

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ronia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronia/gifts).



> Thank you for nominating such an awesome game, I hope you enjoy this treat! Much ♥ and thanks to pauraque for the beta read. Viva la Revolución!

Eva sighs as she closes the lid of the projector.

"That's the third bulb we've gone through in a month." She holds it up to Sal's face before tossing it into the bin. "I told you, you've got to stop leaving the damn thing on all the time. I can fix the inventory lists to fool my boss, but you go through bulbs faster than we do upstairs. It's gonna start to look suspicious."

"It's all much more easier to study in detail when it's up on the wall." Sal's frame casts a shadow against the screen as he turns away from her.

"That's all well and good, but bulbs are expensive." Eva sits down at her desk, unscrewing the side panel of the radio. This desk is nothing like her desk upstairs, it's dinged up and dirty. No picture frames, no sentimental value. She likes it that way.

"Are you getting anywhere with the radio?"

"Other than getting it on?" Eva says with a shrug. "Not so much. But I tell you, once we get this working, it's going to turn everything around. Well... almost."

Sal turns toward her, his face blank and confused. Eva throws up her hands in exasperation.

"People, Sal, _people_!" Eva grabs a pair of pliers and starts on a rusty screw on the inside of the radio. "We can't be the only two agents forever. I got you the room and the equipment, now you've got to get the recruits."

"But the secrecy," Sal sits down on a stool and steeples his fingertips in thought. "We have to make sure we find the right people."

"You found one of them," Eva gives him a rare wink. "I'm sure you can find more."

Sal chuckles and walks over to where she's tinkering away on the radio. "Did you teach yourself how to do this?"

"My sister and I did," Eva says, setting the nut aside as she works at the other bolt. "Thought we might do repairs as odd jobs. Sure as hell beat babysitting."

"How did that go?"

"Pretty good for awhile." Eva grunts as she tries to loosen the dial. "Move, you're blocking the light. Hmmm. Yeah, anyway, for a while it worked. But she got more into boys than batteries."

"Why didn't you strike out on your own?" Sal says. "You're clearly good at it."

Eva glances his way as if expecting a look of sarcasm, just like the others would give her about being good with machines, but his earnestness is real. That's the thing she likes about Sal. He doesn't see her as just another skirt, but as a revolutionary. Someone who can get things done.

**

Eva can hear the muted sounds of Don's yelling from his office, but she doesn't need to hear what he's saying. She'll get it soon enough from Manny.

What she isn't expecting is the Colomar woman walking out of Manny's office, the way she glances down the hall toward Eva. Don's getting louder, so this ain't gonna be good. Eva gets up from her desk to try to meet the other woman halfway, but Meche's already walking toward her and Eva can't do anything but stop within earshot of Don's office.

"Is that all about me?"

"Nah, you know how bosses can be, right?" Eva gives her a broad grin. "Unpredictable as a coffee maker. Never know if it'll brew hot or cold, especially if they're old and cranky. You just caught us on a hot day." Eva tries to steer her back toward Manny's office, but Meche resists. She's a little troubled, but Eva realizes it's not from the commotion.

"Bad news?" Eva cocks her head. Even though the sins of Manny's clients are usually pretty obvious, she would have pegged this one for the Double N.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Meche pushes her way around Eva, heading toward the door.

"Wait!" Eva glances at the door. The voices in Don's office are lowered now, not a good sign. She doesn't have much time. "Listen, I don't know what he told you, but..."

"Mr. Calavera was quite kind," Meche interrupts. "When he returns, please tell him I appreciated his service." Her tone is clipped, but there's a hitch in her voice. She's looking for a way out, Eva can sense it. Or at least she hopes she does.

"He's not the only one who can help you," Eva says. When Meche looks at her blankly, Eva grabs her hand on impulse and takes her down the hall toward the elevator, where it's less likely they'll be overheard. Meche lets herself be led, but she looks scared and Eva realizes she's going about this all the wrong way. But it hardly matters now, she sees something in Meche that she knows Sal saw in her. Determination.

"They're gonna come out of that door any minute now," Eva says quickly. "Just get back in Manny's office, let him close the deal and then come see me. I can take you somewhere safe."

Meche laughs abruptly, looking at Eva in complete bewilderment.

"Safe?" Meche says. The smile is gone from her face, she's angry. "Not too long ago I was alive... well, all right, I was sick but I was alive! And now this?"

"I don't have a lot of time to explain!"

"It seems like I have plenty of time, and I want no more explanations from _this_ place," Meche presses the elevator button, her finger bones rapidly drumming on her handbag.

When the elevator door opens and Meche steps in, Eva slams her hand against the door, preventing it from closing. Meche's anger turns to astonishment.

"You seem to have a lot of interest in me for just being the secretary," Meche says, jabbing the door button to close. "I suppose Manny asked you to interrogate me again. Do you treat all your disappointing clients this way?"

"I don't work for Manny," Eva retorts, pushing the door back again as it threatens to close. "I don't work for the D.O.D. I work for _you,_ Meche. The lost souls. But I can't tell you more right now. if Don comes out of that office and sees me talking to you like this, I'm done for. Just come back in, go into Manny's office and give me a minute to smooth things over. Then I'll explain."

"No." Meche's voice is soft. The word is simple, but it's enough to shatter the slim hope Eva had. "I don't want to be involved in... in anything. I just want to go wherever it is that I am supposed to be now."

"It's a long walk." Eva tosses her the line, hoping she'll grab it. Meche may seem fierce, but Eva's looking for that glimpse of fragility that will reel her back in. But when Meche smiles, Eva can see her for a moment as when she was in life, skin and all. For a moment, the thin music on the radio on her desk seems rich and vibrant, bringing them all back to life.

"Then I've got a long walk ahead of me." Eva takes her hand off the elevator door and it slides shut with a hiss.

She barely has time to get back to her desk before Don buzzes her.


End file.
